Friday, October 31
Jacksonville, Fla.
7 p.m.
University of North Florida
vs
Lipscomb
The Ospreys will try to match last season's A-Sun record
MEN'S SOCCER WEEKLY:
Ospreys suit up for close of A-Sun slate
10/28/2008 11:46:07 AM | Men's Soccer
UNF hosts Lipscomb and Belmont this weekend
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With the season soaring to a close, the University of North Florida men's soccer team hosts three final home matches and will try to reverse its three-match skid, wrapping up its Atlantic Sun Conference schedule this weekend against two A-Sun Tournament-bound teams.
Schedule
UNF (7-9-0, 3-4-0 A-Sun) kicks off the weekend at Hodges Stadium against Lipscomb (8-7-2, 4-2-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31. The Bisons currently sit in the third slot of the league standings but could finish as high as second or as low as fifth in the final seeding for the conference tournament. Lipscomb had split results last weekend, knocking off Stetson, 2-0, before slipping against Florida Gulf Coast, 2-1.
The Ospreys' A-Sun slate wraps up with a 1 p.m. match against Belmont (8-6-2, 3-2-2) on Sunday, Nov. 2. The Bruins would qualify for the conference tournament with the fourth seed if the season ended today and could move up to the third seed or fall to the fifth seed, pending this weekend's results. Belmont has only one win in the last two weekends of play – a 2-1 decision against FGCU last weekend.
Due to reclassification, UNF is ineligible for the conference tournament for the final season. If eligible, the Ospreys would control their own destiny for postseason play. Currently sitting in the sixth slot, UNF could clinch a tournament berth by posting at least one tie this weekend. A third-seed to sixth-seed berth would also be possible for UNF. The Ospreys have dropped their last three league contest, with the last two being decided by one goal. Click here for complete A-Sun standings.
Live Stats
Week Recap
A SunTrust River City Rumble match against Jacksonville provided the Ospreys' only action of the past week. On Sunday, JU stole the Violett Cup for the first time since 2006 with a 1-0 win. The two teams battled through an even keel, physical match, and the Dolphins were able to capitalize on one of the few scoring opportunities of the night. Click here for the full story.
Who's Hot
Senior goalkeeper Tony Restino has topped his season average of 4.4 saves per match in each of UNF's past four matches. He denied five shots against Longwood, six at FGCU, a career-high 10 at Stetson and five in the last outing against JU.
Hodges Stadium has seen the Ospreys post a 4-2 record at home this season, which is the same record UNF finished with at home last season. With three matches remaining on its home field, UNF can post its highest home win total since 2000, when the Ospreys went 7-3 at Hodges Stadium. Four of the six home matches this season have been decided by a single goal.
Record Watch
Restino became the newest member of the UNF men's soccer record book 20 minutes into Sunday's match against JU. His first save placed him 10th on the single season list for saves (tied with Scooter Ross and Blake Baldwin). After four more saves on Sunday, Restino has 70 on the season and can move up several more spots in the final three matches. He needs three saves to own the ninth position, five for eighth and 19 for seventh.
Quotables
Head coach Ray Bunch on the final weekend of A-Sun play: “We have the opportunity to finish in a position that would place us in the conference tournament if we were eligible. Ultimately, that's what we want. We would have been in it last season and can put ourselves in the same situation this year. It gives us a lot to look forward to next season.”
Bunch on closing the remaining matches: “It's nice to be at home after a long season on the road. We enjoy the support from our fans, which helps us perform well at Hodges Stadium and makes it fun for the guys.”
Admission
No admission will be charged.
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